Policies and Practices of School Leaderships in Japan: A Case of Leadership Development Strategies in Akita

Reflecting the social and economic change, Japanese education has shifted to decentralization since the 1980s. With an increased autonomy and responsibility, the local government plays an important role to develop competent school leaders. This descriptive study employs case study approach to illustrate current status of leadership development at the local level in Japan. Through the analysis of current policies and practices, it lays out the strategies of leadership development in Akita prefecture. In addition, semi-structured interviews with 17 education leaders were conducted in 2014 and 2015 to explore their perceptions on the leadership development. The study found that the leadership development in Akita is implemented combining formal and informal training activities. While a comprehensive professional development system is implemented strategically, informal learning of competency is commonly exercised. This dual approach enables school leaders to develop their leadership skills and knowledge

A study on Teacher’s Self-efficacy for promoting ICT integrated Education in primary school in Mongolia

Use of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) in education has been received more attention for improving a quality of education, and this is no exception in Mongolia. This study investigates the current climate of ICT integrated education in Mongolia through a lense of teachers’ self-efficacy. The data were collected from 838 primary school teachers in Mongolia. The pairwise correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the relationships between three types of perceived self-efficacy (confidence, competency and satisfaction.) and two education aspects, teacher training activities and practical ICT experience at school level. The study found that perceived influence of school-based trainings had the strongest correlation among teacher training activities. It also found that positive institutional attitude toward ICT integrated education is vital to teacher’s self-efficacy. Based on the findings, following points were implied to increase or maintain teacher’s higher self-efficacy: 1) school-based teacher training activities, especially related to ICT integrated education, should be given a priority; and 2) sessions to understand the pedagogical value of ICT should be included in management level trainings

Endothelium-derived Hyperpolarizing Factor (EDHF) Mediates Endothelium-dependent Vasodilator Effects of Aqueous Extracts from Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. Leaves in Rat Mesenteric Resistance Arteries

The vascular effects of an aqueous extract prepared from the leaves of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (ELE), a medicinal herb commonly used in antihypertensive herbal prescriptions in China, were investigated in rat mesenteric resistance arteries. The mesenteric vascular bed was perfused with Krebs solution and the perfusion pressure was measured with a pressure transducer. In preparations with an intact endothelium and precontracted with 7&#956;M methoxamine, perfusion of ELE (10&#65293;7&#65293;10&#65293;2mg/ml for 15min) caused a concentration-dependent vasodilatation, which was abolished by chemical removal of the endothelium. The ELE-induced vasodilatation was inhibited by neither indomethacin (INDO, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor) nor NG-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME, a nitric oxide inhibitor). The ELE-induced vasodilatation was significantly inhibited by tetraethylammonium (TEA, a K+ channel blocker) and 18&#945;-glycyrrhetinic acid (18&#945;-GA, a gap-junction inhibitor), and abolished by high K+ -containing Krebs&#700; solution. Atropine (a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist) significantly inhibited the vasodilatation induced by ELE at high concentrations. These results suggest that the ELE-induced vasodilatation is endothelium-dependent but nitric oxide (NO)- and prostaglandin I2 (PGI2)-independent, and is mainly mediated by the endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) in the mesenteric resistance arteries. Furthermore, the ELE-induced EDHF-mediated response involves the activation of K+-channels and gap junctions.</p

Genetic Factors Associated with Heading Responses Revealed by Field Evaluation of 274 Barley Accessions for 20 Seasons

Heading time is a key trait in cereals affecting the maturation period for optimal grain filling before harvest. Here, we aimed to understand the factors controlling heading time in barley (Hordeum vulgare). We characterized a set of 274 barley accessions collected worldwide by planting them for 20 seasons under different environmental conditions at the same location in Kurashiki, Japan. We examined interactions among accessions, known genetic factors, and an environmental factor to determine the factors controlling heading response. Locally adapted accessions have been selected for genetic factors that stabilize heading responses appropriate for barley cultivation, and these accessions show stable heading responses even under varying environmental conditions. We identified vernalization requirement and PPD-H1 haplotype as major stabilizing mechanisms of the heading response for regional adaptation in Kurashiki

Cellular and transcriptomic analyses reveal two-staged chloroplast biogenesis underpinning photosynthesis build-up in the wheat leaf

Background The developmental gradient in monocot leaves has been exploited to uncover leaf developmental gene expression programs and chloroplast biogenesis processes. However, the relationship between the two is barely understood, which limits the value of transcriptome data to understand the process of chloroplast development. Results Taking advantage of the developmental gradient in the bread wheat leaf, we provide a simultaneous quantitative analysis for the development of mesophyll cells and of chloroplasts as a cellular compartment. This allows us to generate the first biologically-informed gene expression map of this leaf, with the entire developmental gradient from meristematic to fully differentiated cells captured. We show that the first phase of plastid development begins with organelle proliferation, which extends well beyond cell proliferation, and continues with the establishment and then the build-up of the plastid genetic machinery. The second phase is marked by the development of photosynthetic chloroplasts which occupy the available cellular space. Using a network reconstruction algorithm, we predict that known chloroplast gene expression regulators are differentially involved across those developmental stages. Conclusions Our analysis generates both the first wheat leaf transcriptional map and one of the most comprehensive descriptions to date of the developmental history of chloroplasts in higher plants. It reveals functionally distinct plastid and chloroplast development stages, identifies processes occurring in each of them, and highlights our very limited knowledge of the earliest drivers of plastid biogenesis, while providing a basis for their future identification

RNA-seq analysis of the gonadal transcriptome during Alligator mississippiensis temperature-dependent sex determination and differentiation

Annotation of development-dependent dimorphic genes in gonad during Day 0–12. Annotation of development-dependent significantly up- and down- regulated DEGs at FDR < 0.01 in gonadal regions incubated under MPT and FPT conditions during Day 0 to Day 12. Ordered by decreasing fold change. (XLSX 196 kb